The united opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1881-1970, 1887-06-17

this passion that had arisen within him az ,
strong man armed, and driven every Cthel
affection away into the waste places OF BIZ
. mind; and, unfortunately, It was an overinas
tering and, az be already guessed, an e,ydur
ing thing. He cursed himself In biz sbam,
and anger as he sat there recovering his equi
librium on the broken chair and tyihg 4
handkerchief tight round his wound. Vha,
fool he had beenl Why had he not Waited
to see which Of the two he really took to
Why had jess gone away like that and
thrown him into temptation with her ,gretty
sisterf He was sure now that she had cared
for him all along. WE'LL there 1t We. and a
precious bad business tool One thing Be was
clear about; it should 60 no further. He wal
not going to break his engagement to Bessie
it was not to be thought Of. But, all the
same, he felt sorry for himself and sorry for
Jess too.
Just then. however, the bandage on his leg
slipped. and the wound began to bleed SO fast
that he was fain to limp into the house for as.
sistance.
jess, who had apparently quite got over
her agitation, was standing by the table talk
ing to Mrs. Neville, who was persuading her
to swallow some of the brandy she had been
caught sight Of Johns face, which had now
turned CHASTITY white, and saw the red line
trucking down his boot, she took up her hat
that was lying on the table. "a
"You had better lie down on the old bed
stead in the little ROOM" she said; Il am
going for the doctor"
Assisted by Mrs. Neville, he was only too
glad to take this advice but long before the
doctor arrived John had followed Jess
example, and, to the intense alarm Of Mrs.
Neville, who was vainly endeavoring to
check the flow of blood, which had now be-
come copious, gone off into dead faint. On
the arrival of the doctor it appeared that the
bullet had grazed the walls of one Of the
arteries on the inside Of the thigh without
actually cutting them, but that they had now
given way, which rendered it necessary to
tie the artery. This operation, with the
assistance of chloroform, he proceeded to
successfully carry out on the spot, announc-
ing afterward that a great deal of blood had
already been lost.
When at last it was over, Mrs. Neville
asked about John. being moved up to the
hospital, but the doctor declared that he
must stop where he was, and that jess must
stop and help to nurse him. with the assist
ance of soldiers wife he would send down.
"Dear me-" said Mrs. Neville, "that is very
awkward"
lit will be awkwarder if you try to move
him at present." was the grim reply, "for the
silk may slip, in which case the artery will
probably break out again, and he will bleed
to DEATH"
AS for Jess, she said nothing, but set to
work to make preparations for her task of
nursing. As fate had once more thrown
them together. she accepted the position
gladly, though it is only fair to say that she
would not have sought it.
In about an hours time, just as John was
to recover from the painful effects
of the chloroform, the soldiers wife who was
to assist her in nursing arrived She was, as
Jess soon discovered, not only a low stamp of
but both careless and ignorant into
the bargain, and all that she could be relied
ON to do was to carry out some of the rougher
work of the sick ROOM When John woke I'D
and discovered whose was the presence that
was bending over him and whose the cool
hand that lay upon his foieheadahe groaned
again and went to sleep. But jess did not go
TO Sleep She sat by him there throughout
the night. until at last the cold lights Of the
dawn came cleaning through the window
and fell upon the white face of the man she
Owed He was still sleeping sSundly, and, as
5he night was exceedingly holland oppressive,
she had left nothing but sheet over him.
Before she went to rest little herself she
urned to look at him once more, and as she
lid so saw the sheet suddenly grow red with
blood. The artery had broken out again.
Calling to the soldiers wife to run across
% the doctor, jess shook her patient until he
woke, for he was sleeping sweetly through
he whole thing, and would no doubt, have
continued to do SO until he glided into
leeper sleep; and then between them they did
what they could to quench that dreadful
pumping flow, Jess knetting her handker
thief round his leg and twisting it with a
tick, while he pressed his thumb upon the
evered artery. But strive as they would
hey were only partially successful, and jess
oegan to think that he would die in her arms
rom loss of blood. It was agonizing to wait
here minute after minute and see his life
,bbing away.
Tess. God bless you, dearl" he said. 1.-THE
place is beginning to 60 round and round"
Poor soul, she could only shut her teeth
md wait for the end.
Presently Johns pressure on the wounded
artery relaxed, and he tainted off. and, oddly
enough, just then the flow Of blood diminished
Another five minutes, and she
heard the quick step Of the doctor coming up
,he path.
"Thank God you have come! He has bled
Il was out attending a poor fellow who
was shot through the lung, and that fool of
woman waited for me to come back, instead
Of following. have brought you all orderly
instead of her. By Jove, he has bledl sup
pose the silk has slipped. WE'LL there is only
one thing for it. Orderly, the chloroform."
And then followed another long half hour
Of slashing and tying and horror, and when
At last the unfortunate John opened his eyes
again he was too weak to speak, and could
only smile feebly. For three DAYS after this
he was in a dangerous state, for if the artery
mad broken out for the third time the chances
we're that, having SO little blood left in his
veins, he would die before anything could be
lone for him. At times he was very delirious
from weakness, and these were the dangerous
hours, for it was almost impossible to keep
him quiet, and every movement threw Jess
INTO an agony Of terror lest the silk fastenings
If the artery should break away. Indeed,
here was only one way in which she could
Keep him quiet, and that was by laying her
Slim white hand upon his forehead or giving
t to him to hold. Oddly enough, this had
more effect upon his fevered mind than any
III. r.,l.,<. 4.